Dutch customs on Dutch TV taking away drivers’ ham sandwiches on ferry from UK arriving at Hook of Holland, also put seized food shopping (Waitrose?) on facebook - this is a standard implication of Brexit deal, long indicated in prep documents both in UK and EU...
The interesting thing here will be how this new prohibition (without correct documentation) on free flow of even personal food exports from UK to EU (and eventually vice versa) will be applied on short straits at Coquelles? Calais? UK side juxtaposed controls? Not at all?
Dutch incredibly organised on full implications of Brexit for their customs - three years’ ago Dutch customs developed online portal explaining full implications of non-tariff barriers, advised small businesses not to use GB parts (rules of origin) etc
This is why I don’t really get the strategy of even rhetorical denial of establishment of new non-tariff barriers, eg by PM.
Three years ago Dutch had “Brexit Loeket” program telling all small business about new NTBs, how to avoid, and how to take advantage vs UK competitors...
Obviously this prohibition is irrelevant economically, and will appear petty given the absolute certainty that everything seized would have been produced to EU standards, but Dutch customs applying law/ terms of deal/ trying to communicate to UK drivers not to bring foodstuffs
Details:
Prohibited - meat and milk products such as ham and cheese.
Exceptions - baby milk, some special pet foods.
More exemptions that you can pack in your cross channel lunch box...
Bread (hence the driver asking if the Dutch customs would only confiscate the ham in his sarnie - they refused)
Cake and chocolate...
Pasta
And the oddly specific “fish stuffed olives”
Unfortunately not.
April 1st will though see introduction of health/ SPS certificates on EU food imports into GB... and end of some easements for GB-NI, so an important date.
Extraordinarily wide levels of spread over past fortnight, partic between Dec 29th and Jan 5th...
Eg Liverpool has gone from green (10-49 cases/100k) to dark purple (800+) in less than a month:
Even more noteworthy - Liverpool is now at 934 cases/100k (jan 5th) just a week before on dec 29th was 314 (ie jumped two categories in one week) four weeks before (dec 8th) it was 91.
And adjusted per thousand population, excess deaths over previous 5 years higher already than any year since 1950 including the 1950s flu epidemic: ONS
Already in 52 weeks to Christmas Day, 2020 surpassed 600k UK total deaths for 1st time since 1918 Spanish flu epidemic (tho then population about 40m vs 67m)...unfortunately missing final week data will add few thousand - also comparison with recent years...
DJ plays the Titanic theme music at the outgoing President’s “save America” march in DC...
And - blimey the 33 year old who could be about to lose POTUS’s party the senate @ossoff was a producer on some documentaries... including the BBC 3 Stacey Dooley ones...
“US senate has a higher calling than an endless spiral of partisan vengeance” said current Majority Leader McConnell rejecting the objections to counting the electoral college votes...
NEW / DFDS ferries report “high volume” of vehicles refused and delayed at Calais, Dunkirk and Dover “due to incorrect paperwork being presented at check in”
Expecting further grants to be announced shortly - grants for businesses forced to close were set at up to £3000 a month. Also the Self employed scheme grant rate not yet confirmed after end of month...
NEW:
Chancellor announces further “one off top up” grants of between £4000 and £9000 for businesses in retail hospitality and leisure now obliged to lockdown - based on rateable value.
Expected to benefit 600,000 businesses, will include funding for all four nations, cost £4.6bn